Wedding traditions with the colour red

Red is the colour of weddings in much of Asia.

Red is the colour of weddings in much of Asia. It stands for luck, joy, fertility, life and protection, and in China, India, Vietnam and Korea it is the colour of the bride. In the West it is often avoided, which shows how much meaning a colour can carry.

Red in Asia

Chinese brides wear red qipao or qungua, the wedding hall is hung with red double-happiness characters, and guests give hongbao, red envelopes. Indian brides wear red lehengas or silk saris, and the sindoor in the parting of the hair is red. Vietnamese brides wear a red ao dai, and Korean brides wear red dots, yeonji gonji, on the cheeks. In Japan the uchikake may be red, and the bridal umbrella is also red.

Red elsewhere

Red also appears in Armenia, Georgia and Turkey, where the bride may be wrapped in a red veil or have a red ribbon tied at her waist, called the kirmizi kusak in Turkish custom. In the Balkans red and white cloth were used in traditional dress, and in Central Asia red wedding robes and headdresses were common. In Europe white took over in the nineteenth century.

About this page

Written by the EveryShaadi desk with AI assistance. Background on The colour red (symbol). Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.

🇲🇾 Malaysia and 4 moreBaju Kurungباجو كوروڠ The traditional blouse and skirt worn by Malay women for weddings and religious ceremoniesAttire · The weeks before

🇳🇬 Nigeria and 2 moreGeleGèlè The towering Yoruba head tie that crowns the bride and marks her status on the wedding day.Attire · The weeks before

🇮🇹 Rome, ItalyWeddings in ancient Rome The religious ceremonies and attire that marked a union in the city of Rome before the rise of Christianity.Rite · The weeks before

🇳🇬 Iseyin, Nigeria and 2 moreAso okeAṣọ òkè Hand-woven cloth worn by the Yoruba for weddings and formal gatheringsAttire · The ceremony

🇮🇳 Bhuj, India and 1 moreBandhani A traditional Indian tie-dye method that creates intricate dot patterns by binding small sections of cloth before dyeingAttire · Engagement and betrothal 🇺🇦 UkraineSong about the RushnykПісня про рушник (Pisnia pro rushnyk) A Ukrainian song that celebrates the embroidered cloth used in weddings and family life.Performance · The ceremony

🇱🇦 Laos and 1 moreBaciບາສີ (Lao); บายศรี (Thai) The wrist-tying ceremony that calls the soul back to restore balance and good luck.Blessing · The ceremony 🇮🇳 IndiaMadisarமடிசார் (Madisar) The nine-yard sari drape worn by Tamil Brahmin women during weddings and religious rites.Attire · The ceremony

🇬🇭 Ghana and 2 moreKente clothnwentoma Hand-woven silk and cotton strips from Ghana that mark weddings and graduationsAttire · The ceremony

🇮🇩 Palembang, Indonesia and 2 moreSongketᬲᭀᬂᬓᬾᬢ᭄ A hand-woven brocade cloth patterned with gold or silver threads for traditional weddings in Southeast Asia.Attire · Engagement and betrothal 🇮🇳 Kochi, IndiaKasavuകസാവ് The white cotton and gold border attire worn by Malayalis for weddings and festivals.Attire · The weeks before 🇵🇦 PanamaTamborito A Panamanian courtship dance performed in a circle with drums and female chorusPerformance · The wedding feast

🇪🇹 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and 1 moreZuria The ankle-length dress with woven hem bands worn by Tigrinya and Amhara women for weddings and holidays.Attire · The weeks before

🇳🇬 Lagos, Nigeria and 3 moreAso ebiAsọ-Ẹbí Matching outfits worn by groups to show solidarity at Yoruba weddings and other ceremoniesAttire · The weeks before

🇼🇸 Samoa and 3 moreʻIe tōga Prestige woven mats exchanged at Samoan weddings to honor family ties and chiefly status.Attire · The ceremony

🇲🇽 Oaxaca, Mexico and 1 moreHuipilhuīpīlli The traditional tunic worn by indigenous women in Mexico and Central America for weddings and daily life.Attire · The weeks before

🇮🇩 IndonesiaUlosᯥᯞᯘᯬ᯲ The hand-woven textile that binds Batak couples in marriage and symbolizes warmth.Attire · The ceremony

🇮🇳 India and 1 moreMayian A pre-wedding cleansing ritual in Punjabi culture where turmeric paste is applied to the couple.Blessing · The weeks before

🇸🇩 SudanJirtigالجَرْتِقْ A Sudanese rite where the groom is symbolically crowned as king before the wedding procession.Rite · The weeks before 🇮🇳 IndiaSakharpuda The Maharashtrian engagement rite where sugar and coconuts seal a verbal promise between families.Betrothal · Engagement and betrothal 🇮🇳 India and 1 moreChuraचूरा (Hindi) The red and white bangles that mark a bride's new status in Indian Hindu weddingsAttire · The weeks before

🇯🇵 Tokyo, JapanShinto wedding神前結婚 (Shinzen kekkon) A Shinto purification ritual featuring sake sharing and kimono attire held at a shrine or venue.Rite · The ceremony

🇹🇴 Tonga and 2 moreTaʻovala The woven pandanus mat worn around the waist for formal occasions and weddings in Tonga.Attire · The weeks before

🇳🇬 NigeriaLefe The presentation of gifts from the groom to the bride in Hausa weddings.Gift custom · The weeks before

🇺🇬 UgandaGomesi The floor-length traditional dress worn by women in Buganda and Busoga for weddings and formal events.Attire · Engagement and betrothal

🇮🇳 Kanchipuram, India and 1 moreWedding sari The traditional draped garment worn by brides in South Asia for their marriage ceremony.Attire · The ceremony 🇮🇳 India and 1 moreLeirum Pheeꯂꯩꯔꯨꯝ ꯐꯤ A traditional Meitei shawl given as a wedding gift from parents to daughtersAttire · Engagement and betrothal

🇲🇦 Tangier, MoroccoNegafanggafa (Tamazight); ziyyāna (Arabic) The traditional Moroccan bridal dresser who manages the bride's appearance and wedding rituals.Attire · The weeks before

🇰🇷 South KoreaDangui당의 A long upper garment worn by Korean brides over a chima and jeogori during the Joseon period.Attire · The ceremony

🇺🇦 Chernivtsi, Ukraine and 1 moreVyshyvanka DayДень вишиванки The annual celebration where people wear embroidered shirts to show national unity and identitySetting

🇨🇳 ChinaHonggaitou紅蓋頭 The red bridal veil worn by Han Chinese brides to cover their faces before the wedding night.Attire · Procession and arrival

🇰🇷 South KoreaHwarot활옷 The embroidered Korean gown worn by brides during the pyebaek ceremony.Attire · Reception, dance and gifts

🇨🇳 Guangdong, China and 2 moreQungua裙褂 A two-piece embroidered jacket and skirt worn by Cantonese brides for their wedding ceremony.Attire · The ceremony

🇮🇳 IndiaIndian wedding clothes Traditional garments worn by Indian couples and guests across multiple days of celebrationAttire · The weeks before

🇮🇳 IndiaOdia Hindu weddingBahaghara (ଓଡ଼ିଆ ବାହାଘର) The traditional Hindu marriage ceremony of the Odia people in Odisha, India.Rite · Engagement and betrothal

🇳🇬 NigeriaIgbo traditional marriageIgba Nkwu The multi-stage Igbo marriage process that formalizes a union through family negotiations and the wine-carrying ceremonyRite · Finding a match

🇨🇳 ChinaXiuhefu秀禾服 A modern two-piece Chinese bridal outfit inspired by Qing dynasty styles and popularized by a 2001 television drama.Attire · The ceremony

🇨🇳 ChinaFengguan xiapei凤冠霞帔 The traditional Han Chinese wedding ensemble of a phoenix crown and embroidered robes worn by brides in the Ming and QinAttire · The ceremony

🇰🇷 South Korea and 1 morePyebaek폐백 A Korean post-ceremony ritual where the couple bows to the groom's parents and shares symbolic foods.Blessing · After the wedding

🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 3 moreCare cloth A linen or silk cloth held over the heads of a bride and groom during a Christian wedding blessing.Attire · The ceremony

🇨🇳 China and 1 moreTraditional Chinese wedding dress The wedding attire worn by Han Chinese couples, from the fengguan xiapei to the qunguaAttire · The ceremony

🇺🇦 Kyiv, Ukraine and 2 moreOchipokочіпок The embroidered cap that covers a Ukrainian bride's hair to mark her new status as a married womanAttire · The ceremony

🇻🇳 VietnamTraditional Vietnamese weddingLễ cưới truyền thống Việt Nam The multi-stage ceremony of betrothal, engagement and union that marks a marriage in Vietnam.Attire · Finding a match

🇺🇦 UkraineTraditional Ukrainian weddingТрадиційне українське весілля A multi-day sequence of folk rites, bread baking and church vows that marks the transition from maidenhood to married liRite · Finding a match

🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 5 moreWedding superstitions Traditional beliefs about luck and omens that shape wedding rituals across culturesAttire · The weeks before

🇨🇳 China and 2 moreChinese pre-wedding customs三書六禮 (sàam syù luhk láih) The traditional betrothal rituals of the Book of Rites that prepare a Chinese marriage.Betrothal · Finding a match

🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 3 moreWedding dress The ceremonial garment worn by the bride during her marriage rite.Attire · The ceremony

🇮🇳 Hyderabad, IndiaKhara dupattaKhada dupatta (Urdu: کھڑا دوپٹہ) The upright stole worn by Hyderabadi Muslim brides as part of their traditional wedding ensemble.Attire · The ceremony

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

Aso ebi: SUPREME LACE, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Huipil: Gift in memory of Elizabeth Ege Freudenheim, No restrictions, source
Shinto wedding: Jakub Hałun, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Aso oke: Wolf D., Public domain, source
Taʻovala: James Foster, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
Lefe: Useendk, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Gomesi: sarahemcc, CC BY 2.0, source
Wedding sari: Tarquin Binary, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
Negafa: Amine.elbahij, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Dangui: derivative work: Caspian blue ( talk ) Korean_royal_costumes-06.jpg :, CC BY 2.0, source
Vyshyvanka Day: Vasily Andreevich Tropinin, Public domain, source
Baci: Dalbera, CC BY 2.0, source
Honggaitou: kanegen, CC BY 2.0, source
Zuria: Kurt Bauschardt, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Songket: Rijksmuseum, CC0, source
Hwarot: Unknown author, No restrictions, source
Qungua: Fduyjfroea Homz, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Kente cloth: ZSM, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Indian wedding clothes: Lee Jordan, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Bandhani: RubyGoes, CC BY 2.0, source
Odia Hindu wedding: Aditya Mahar, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Igbo traditional marriage: Olugold, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Mayian: Rakzika, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Gele: Royalesignature, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Weddings in ancient Rome: Meister der Aldobrandinischen Hochzeit, Public domain, source
Jirtig: Alzain Mohammed, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Xiuhefu: Tunere, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Fengguan xiapei: Unknown author, CC0, source
Care cloth: Unknown author, Public domain, source
Pyebaek: halfGoku, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Ochipok: Unknown author, CC0, source
Baju Kurung: Ministry of Information official photographer, Public domain, source
Ulos: Boy Lawson, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Traditional Vietnamese wedding: Gabrielle M. Vassal, Public domain, source
Traditional Ukrainian wedding: Пимоненко, Николай Корнильевич, Public domain, source
Wedding superstitions: Anonymous Unknown author, Public domain, source
Chinese pre-wedding customs: Anonymous ( China ) Unknown author, CC0, source
Wedding dress: Statens historiska museer, CC BY 2.5, source
Khara dupatta: Kinshuk Sunil, CC BY 2.0, source
ʻIe tōga: Sarah Kelemen, CC BY 2.0, source